Florida News That Impacts You – August 16th, 2024
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- Florida’s economy and the state’s financial health have continued to outperform already high expectations. Florida’s Revenue Estimating Conference has raised revenue projections for the state of Florida by an additional $2 billion this fiscal year and next. The additional revenue growth is a combination of Florida’s economy outperforming the national economy and the state’s investment returns outperforming market expectations.
- Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has filed a Freedom of Information Act request of the Department of Homeland Security demanding information on the 99 known members of the US Terror Watch List released into the interior of the United States by the Biden administration. In a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Moody noted that illegal border crossers often make their way to Florida and its likely potential terrorists are now residing in the state due to the administration's policies.
- Over 1.4 million Floridians have voted either by returned vote-by-mail ballots or early voting in advance of Florida’s August 20th primaries. Republicans have outvoted Democrats by over 102,000 votes statewide. Early voting continues daily throughout this week. Palm Beach County is operating early voting locations from 7 am to 7 pm through Sunday. In Martin County early voting is available from 8 am until 5 pm through Saturday and Indian River County is operating early voting locations from 8 am until 4 pm through Saturday.
- It’ll be a bit less hot today with highs in the upper 80’s. Temperatures will be about 2 degrees warmer than usual for this date. Hurricane Ernesto is tracking towards Bermuda with an expected landfall tomorrow morning. It is not a threat to Florida. No other tropical systems are expected to develop over the next seven days.
- Gas prices dropped three cents per gallon on Thursday. The average price for regular unleaded in Florida is currently $3.35 per gallon. In Palm Beach County the average price is $3.54 per gallon, in Martin the average is $3.42 and in Indian River County the average is $3.38 per gallon.